IDI Annual Conference 2026

The IDI Annual Conference 2026 was held in Lisbon on 5–6 June 2026. The conference, which brought together international academics, in-house counsel and legal practitioners, was attended by Ercüment Erdem, Founder and Senior Partner of Erdem & Erdem, and Piraye Erdem, Founder and Managing Partner of Erdem & Erdem. The event provided a comprehensive platform for discussing current legal issues relating to agency, distribution and franchise agreements. Under this year’s theme, “Managing Termination and Post-Termination in Agency, Distribution and Franchise Agreements,” participants examined recent developments concerning the legal and commercial risks arising before, during and after the termination of commercial relationships, as well as strategies for effectively managing such risks.

Prof. Dr. H. Ercüment Erdem, Founder and Senior Partner of Erdem & Erdem Law Office and IDI Country Expert for Agency and Distribution in Türkiye, chaired the discussion panel titled “Post-Term Non-Compete Clauses in Agency Contracts.” The panel featured Raimond Emde, Partner at GvW Graf von Westphalen and IDI Country Expert for Agency in Germany, Stewart Germann, Founder of Stewart Germann Law Office and IDI Country Expert for Agency and Distribution in New Zealand, and Arianna Ruggieri, Associate at Buffa Bortolotti & Mathis.

The panel focused on the enforceability and scope of post-contractual non-compete obligations across different jurisdictions, addressing key issues such as remuneration for non-compete undertakings, the possibility of release from such obligations, and the legal implications of post-termination restrictions in agency relationships.